as in giant
unusually large
harvested a whacking number of zucchini from the garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extremely
to a great degree
the clown wore a whacking big pair of shoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in smacking
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
whacked the vending machine to get the candy bar to fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in murdering
slang
to put to death deliberately
without a second thought the mob boss had them whacked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whacking
Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
Matt is carrying a stick and whacking flowers.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
His young nephew provided the entertainment, whacking a plastic ball around with a toy club on the lawn, replicating pro golf mannerisms a little too closely.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
These plays are often brilliant, and even lesser variants are fun to watch, because piñata-whacking itself is a naughty thrill, a cathartic fantasy for anyone with a family and/or a secret.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Rio’s staunch griminess, dreaming of whacking his brother and wanting to cut his nephew’s tongue for snitching, drags Fxce out into the open sea.
—Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
Next thing, authorities told media outlets, a 63-year-old player allegedly punched an opponent and then used his pickleball paddle as a weapon, whacking a 70-year-old in the face.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The reptile reacts to being picked up by flicking its meaty tail back and forth, whacking a few of the deputies.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
The robot showcased exemplary skills with the bat, whacking the ball precisely in a rally of over 100 shots with human-like agility.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Ultimately, the Yanks would spend 2 hours and 45 minutes on the court, meaning 2023 champion Tiafoe, who had prevailed in two previous marathons, wound up whacking balls for eight-plus hours in his ultimately futile bid for reach a fourth consecutive final here.
—Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
Matt is carrying a stick and whacking flowers.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
His young nephew provided the entertainment, whacking a plastic ball around with a toy club on the lawn, replicating pro golf mannerisms a little too closely.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
These plays are often brilliant, and even lesser variants are fun to watch, because piñata-whacking itself is a naughty thrill, a cathartic fantasy for anyone with a family and/or a secret.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Rio’s staunch griminess, dreaming of whacking his brother and wanting to cut his nephew’s tongue for snitching, drags Fxce out into the open sea.
—Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
Next thing, authorities told media outlets, a 63-year-old player allegedly punched an opponent and then used his pickleball paddle as a weapon, whacking a 70-year-old in the face.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The reptile reacts to being picked up by flicking its meaty tail back and forth, whacking a few of the deputies.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
The robot showcased exemplary skills with the bat, whacking the ball precisely in a rally of over 100 shots with human-like agility.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whacking
Adjective
-
Some areas have also seen giant wildfires that left no grass for grazing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
American Airlines was marking its centennial on Wednesday with celebrations at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and the giant carrier’s other hubs.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Only 11% of respondents were extremely comfortable using AI, whereas 25% were not comfortable at all using the technology.—
Jeff Lazerson,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
-
These mid-rise jeans are extremely soft, crafted from 98 percent cotton.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Berfield — who played Reese, Dewey's older brother — watches the tween get picked on by a group of bullies before turning and smacking them with his bag.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
-
During the eclipse, as the moon was cloaked in darkness, the crew members spotted flashes of light from meteoroids smacking into the lunar surface.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Orange County jury that found Demorris Hunter guilty of murdering his girlfriend in 2002 unanimously recommended to send him to death row Tuesday after just over two hours of deliberations.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
-
In May 2004, she was convicted of the 1995 murder of Glenn, and in 2007, she was convicted of murdering Randy.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Deportees who aren't imprisoned face challenges Even those who are not immediately jailed face huge challenges, including economic ones, upon their return to their home country.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Anderson said that experience was a huge help in preparing him for his eventual MLB promotion.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Lisa Kudrow is so damn good at this.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
-
These men in sports who know damn well a woman could not compete are staying silent.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But there’s more to at-home extensions than slapping them on the crown of your head and heading out the door.—
Hunter Lacey,
Allure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
That means going beyond slapping a flag on packaging in November.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The special will look into the stories of Luigi Mangione, who faces trial in the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson; Tyler Robinson, accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk; and Robin Westman, accused of a mass shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
-
This comes on top of at least 15 years of US-Israel assassinating Iranian university scientists and their families.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whacking. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
